On Monday, 28th August 2017, Orangutan Foundation together with the local wildlife authority, managed to rescue an orangutan, found stranded in a forested area between a village and an oil-palm plantation in Central Kalimantan. The orangutan, an adult male of around 17 years of age, only weighed 80kg– about two thirds its expected weight.

The alarm was raised by one of the villagers, who, seeing the orangutan so close by, was worried the orangutan would destroy his oil-palm plantation, and even enter his own home.

The challenging terrain made it difficult to reach the orangutan. The team had to use a boat to approach the area and then walk 1km through swamp forest. Once found, the orangutan was anesthetized and transported to a government facility for a full check up before release.

Ashley Leiman, Director of the Orangutan Foundation, puts this rescue into context. “This rescue highlights the problem of habitat loss resulting in more wildlife coming into human contact, leading to human-wildlife conflict.”

The orangutan was examined by the Orangutan Foundation’s vet, and then translocated into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, a protected area, on 30th August.

To date, 15 orangutans have been rescued by the Orangutan Foundation in 2017, some being immediately translocated and others, too young for release, will go into the Foundation’s Soft-Release Programme.

About the Orangutan Foundation

Founded in 1990, the Orangutan Foundation is the foremost orangutan conservation organization. Our mission is to save the critically endangered orangutan by protecting its tropical forest habitat, working with local communities and promoting research and education. If you wish to learn more about the charity, please visit www.orangutan.org.uk.